Rebecca Gilligan
2022 winner, Head of Project Management, ABP Ireland & Poland
Rebecca is Head of Project Management for ABP Ireland and Poland where she started in this role in October 2021 and a short year later received the Meat Business Women ‘One to Watch’ Award in October 2022.
Growing up on a farm, Rebecca has a passion for all things animal related and graduated as a veterinary nurse in 2018. As a veterinary nurse one might say the meat industry wasn’t a typical career path, however, as a graduate Rebecca entered into the meat industry with Meat technology Ireland (Teagasc) supporting a diverse range of research and development projects while also supporting Lean Manufacturing.
Rebecca later moved into a Lean Management Executive Role with ABP Slaney where she embarked on and graduated with a Masters in Lean Six Sigma. It was during this time that Rebecca grew passionate about continuous improvement, establishing herself as a catalyst for positive change through engaging teams and helping them open their minds to all opportunities, ideas and fundamentally resulting in overall increased performance and efficiency.
As a Gen Z female in a management position Rebecca began to understand life for a woman in the meat industry. Through her lived experiences, combined with her passion for continuous improvement Rebecca is empowered to change the culture around women in the meat industry and to make the world a more inclusive place as whole.
With the support of ABP, Rebecca has led and executed the launch and establishment of ABP SHE for Ireland and Poland while also helping the ongoing growth of Meat Business Women’s profile across both ABPs sites and wider a field. On a more personal level, Rebecca volunteers with a Girls Rescue Centre in Africa, where she actively advocates for their needs.